This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. ""119 from my application COMPUTER filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Dec. 5, 2001 and there duly assigned Serial No. 76647/2001.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a computer, and more particularly, to a computer improved in a structure for sliding a tray for an optical storage unit adjacent a casing.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to present a fine appearance and to protect an optical storage unit such as a CD-ROM (compact disk read only memory) drive, a DVD (digital versatile disk) drive, a CD-RW (compact disk rewritable) drive, etc. from dust, a conventional computer includes a door. The door has a power switch disposed thereon. If the computer also has a drive for a CD-ROM, DVD and/or a CD burner, the drive for operating these optical disks is located within the computer chassis or frame or casing. To access the drive, a door is disposed on the front cover. In addition, the front cover has a separate button located near the door to open the door and extend a tray outward in front of the front cover enabling a user to insert or remove a CD disk or a DVD disk. This same button is also used to retract the tray to within the drive and to close the door covering the drive to protect the optical disk from accumulating unwanted dust.
The button on the front cover that actuates the door and the tray is a button that resides on the front cover that can be actuated by the user. The button pushed by the user pushes another button located on the drive to actuate the tray and the door. However, if for some reason the button actuated by the user is not perfectly aligned with the button on the drive itself, the drive and the door and the tray will be rendered inoperable. In such a scenario, the entire chassis needs to be replaced so that the button and the button hole on the front cover aligns perfectly with a button disposed on the outside of the drive used to read or write to a CD disk or a DVD disk.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved design for user actuation of an optical disk drive.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a design for a computer so that when the button on the front cover of the computer is misaligned with the operational button on the optical disk drive, the repair of the computer will be less drastic than requiring replacement of the entire computer chassis or even replacement of the entire front cover or panel.
These and other objects of the present invention may be accomplished by the provision of a computer having a casing having a door that can swing open and expose the optical storage unit and cause the optical storage unit to extend a tray allowing a user to remove and/or insert an optical storage disk where the button that the user presses to actuate the tray and the door is attached to the rear side of the door instead of being attached to the computer chassis or the front cover. The door for the optical storage unit is easily removable from the front cover or the chassis, allowing for easy and inexpensive repair should the button for door and tray actuation should become misaligned with an operational button on the optical storage unit.
Preferably, on the door is provided a button through hole through which the button pushing part is exposed, and the computer further comprises a supporting bar having a first end coupled to the button pushing part and a second end pivoted upon the rear of the door so as to elastically restore the button pushing part so that the first end is repositioned in the through hole after actuation.
Preferably, the computer further includes an elastic member restoring the door from the open position to the closed position, and the elastic member is comprised of a coil spring having a first end coupled to the door and a second end coupled to the casing.
In a separate embodiment, the button pushing part is disposed on an angled portion of the front panel near the side of the computer chassis, the computer further includes a link part provided between the button pushing part and the operation button and linking the movement of the button pushing part to the push of the operation button, and the link part is comprised of a push lever positioned between the button pushing part and the operation button; and a lever supporting part fixed on the casing and guiding the push lever. The link part of the computer further includes a spring provided at the push lever and restoring the push lever in a direction opposite to a pushing direction, and a stopper or screw for preventing the spring from a breakaway.